Ingot mold



' July 7, 1931.-

W. H. RAMAGE E 'ALI mac; tom:

Filed March 22. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS llwlz'amlazjgfiamaye "25 above outlined.

Patented July 7, 1931 WILLIAM HAIG AGE, OF TR'UMBULL GIRARD, OHIO, ASSIGNORFs T VALLEY MQULD AND IRON CORPORATION, OF HUBBARD, 0310, A CORPORATION OF NEW YQRK Application filed. March 22, 1930. Serial Il'o. 438,031.

closed bottom ingot molds is the difficulty of removing the ingots from the molds if the ingots should stick therein. Another disad-- vantage of such closed bottom ingotmolds is the difiiculty of cleaning the molds after each pour.

A still further disadvantage is the liability of the bottom of such a mold to be cut by the molten stream of steel which is initially poured into the mold, and if the bottom of the mold becomes seriously erroded or pitted by cutting, the mold becomes useless and it is necessary to discard the entire mold.

The present invention overcomes the difficulties of the prior art by providing a con struction which obviates the disadvantages One embodiment of the comprises providing a closed bottom ingot mold member with a relatively large bottom closure comprising a continuation of the coni "so tour of the bottom of the mold and a separable part from which the mold and an ingot therein may be removed to expose the bottom of the ingot to facilitate stripping of the ingot from the mold.

Another feature of the present invention is that the bottom closure member is of such large size and shape as to receive the initial stream of molten steel and any cutting which occurs because of. the stream of molten steel 'takes place in the bottom member which may be easily replaced so that the mold body may be continued in use. A further feature of the present invention.

is the provision of a joint seal and stream double function of sealing the Joint between the closure member and the mold body and also of receiving the initial stream of steel present invention impact breaking device'which performs the cutting of the member by the molten stream. A further feature of the present invention is the provision of means to securely hold down the bottom closure member while the ingot mold body with an ingot therein may be lifted therefrom and in this manner strip theingot from the closure member-which may be stuck thereto.

Materials common in the art for manufacture of ingot mold parts and accessories may be utilized in constructing the parts embodying the present invention, and preferably direct metal from a blast furnace and alloys thereof are the materials to be used,

be embodied in constructions other than those disclosed herewith, it is to be understood that the disclosure is illustrative and not to be" considered in the limiting sense.

Fig. 1 illustrates a vertical elevational cross-section of one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates a vertical elevational cross-section of a slightly difl'erent form of the present invention.

disclosedin Fig. 2, showing part of the mold COUNTY, AND nnivrmrn .r. naurrrrnn, or

Realizing that the present inventions may Fig. 3 illustrates a plan View of the device in section, saidsection being taken on line 33 of Fig. 2. p

Referring now to the drawings and more especially to Fig. 1, an ingot mold body 1 is provided with a pair of lugs 2 at the top of the mold, and a pair of lugs 4 at the bottom of the mold. The matrix 5 may be of any desirable shape and a relatively square cross-,

sectional shape is indicated in the present disclosure.

The-bottom. ofthe mold is provided with an opening 6 having downwardly inclined sides. This opening 6 may be of any desired shape, but preferably is'circular in cross section. The matrix side walls of the mold, as

illustrated in Fig. 1, are downwardly and inwardly inclined, as at 7, toward the opening.

A stool member 8' comprises the support for the mold and is provided with an opening 9, which preferably comprises a stepped construction to form a shoulder 10. A closure member 11 sets in the stbol with an extension 12 extending beneath the shoulder 10 member 16 may be provided to extend over the upper end of the closure member 11 with the edges of the member 16 extending be tween the sides of the topof the member 11 and the side walls of the opening 6 in the bottom of the mold. This member 16, therefore, acts as a seal for the joint between the mold and the closure member and also extends over the recess 15 in the top of the closure member. This protecting and sealing member 16 acts to break the initial impact of the steel stream as it falls into the mold as well as to seal the joint between the body and the closure. The protecting member may comprise a cap of sheet metal such as sheet steel, or of heavy paper or other non-refractorymaterial. I Wheretheprotectingmember 16 is of metal, the exposed portion" quickly melts and is incorporated in the base of the ingot and where it is of paper or similar material, it is consumed as to the part which extends over the recess 15. In either case the portion of the protecting member 16 extending into the opening between the closure member and the mold is not melted or consumed, but remains as a seal to prevent fins of steelfrom forming in the joint between the mold member and the closure.

The stool 8 sets upon a suitable support 17 which holds the closure member 11 in position'so that the mold body may be set down thereon. Hold-down clamp jaws 18 may extend over a portion of the stool 8 during the stripping operation so that when the stripping arms 19 engage the upper pair of lugs 2 and lift the mold, the stool and the closure member 11 are solidly held down and the mold with the ingot therein is lifted u wardly and is stripped from the face of t e closure member 11.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the closure member 21 is shown as being of larger diameter relative to the matrix 5 of the mold so that the joint between the closure member 21 and the mold occurs adjacent the vertical side walls of the mold member. In this construction the closure member 21 may be provided with a recess 22 having an initial pool pocket 24 located in the central portion thereof. The protecting sealing member 25 extends into the joint between the closure 21 and the side walls of the opening in the mold and extends over the top of the closure member 21. This protecting sealing member 25 may be dished if desired to somewhat follow the contour of the recess 22 of the closure member. The construction otherwise is substantially the same as previously described with re ference to the construction illustrated in From the foregoing, it will be observed that the present construction provides a bottom closure member for closed bottom type ingot molds, which relatively small member may be renewed when worn out by use. When the ingot mold with the ingot therein is removed from the closure member a large part of the end of the ingot is exposed for stripping or handling operations. The present construction permits the mold maker to form the bottom of the matrix of the mold in such manner as to provide desirable crystallization characteristics to the bottom end of'the ingot and to avoid cleavage planes of crystallization which may otherwise occur.

The protecting sealing cap is of such size and construction as to protect a substantial bottom portion of the matrix of the mold which is usually subjected to the most severe wear due to the hot steel stream. It also increases'the life of this part of the set-up materially as well as prevents any tendency of the steel to flow into the joint between the closure member and the mold.

The construction is such that the protecting cap may be set in place over the closure member and the mold there lowered over the cap and closure so that the edges of the cap are tightly clamped against the side wall of the bottom opening in the mold to form a steel tight joint. This arrangement enables the workmen to easily and accurately set the cap in place before the mold is set and thus contributes to the speed and security of making the set-up. 1

The side walls of the opening 6 in the bottom of the mold being inclined downwardly and outwardly may be used as a forming member when applying the protective cap. The protective cap may comprise a flat sheet member laid in position on the closure member and as the mold is lowered over the closure member the inclined side walls of the opening 6 engage the overhanging edge of the flat sheet and carries the same downwardly over the top of the closure member and finally clamps the edges of the protective sheet tightly between the upper end of the closure member and the side walls of the opening 6 in the bottom of the body of the mold.

Preferably the inclination of the opening 6 in an outward direction in the bottom of the mold is slightly greater than the inclination of the sides of the closure member. This results in producing a tight closed joint between the upper end of the closure member 10 top and being centrally located relative to the vertical axis of the matrix of said mold, and a protecting cap over the end of said closure member and extendinginto thejoint between said body member and said closure 15 member, said cap being positioned above said recess. i

' 2. An'ingot mold set-up comprising a body member having a vertical matrix with an opening leading therefrom, said opening being of lesser size than the cross section of the matrix and havin downwardly and outwardly inclined side walls, a replaceable frusto-conical closure member extending into said body to close said opening, a stool having a circular opening through which said closure member extends, and an extension on said closure member to'lo'ck said member to the stool when said body member is lifted therefrom.

3. An ingot mold set-up comprising a body member having a vertical matrix with an opening leading therefrom, said opening being of lesser size than the cross section of said matrix and having downwardly and outwardly inclined side walls, a replaceable frusto-conical closure member extending into said body to close said opening, and a stool having a substantially circular opening through which said closure member extends. 4'. n ingot mold set-up comprising a body member having .a vertical matrix with an a opening leading therefrom, said opening having downwardly and outwardly inclined side walls, a frusto-conical closure member adapted to close saidopening, astool having an opening through which said closure member extends, means to hold down said closure member when said body member is lifted therefrom, and a sheet material protective cap over said closure member and extending into the joint between said body member and said closure member.

5. An ingot mold set-up com rising a body having a matrix therein wit an v o ening leading from the bottom thereof, a ottom closure extending into the bottom of the said body and comprising a conical member insertable from the outside of the mold, and a separate member comprising the support for the mold.

6.. An ingot mold set-up comprising a body rate member comprising the support for the mold, and a sealing cap carried by said closure and extending into the joint between said body and said closure.

, 7. An ingot mold set-up comprising a body havin an opening in the bottom of the matrix t ereof, a replaceable closure member extending into said opening in the bottom of the body of the mold andclosing the same, a stool for supporting said mold with a portion of said'stool extending between a portion of said closure member and the bottom of said mold, and means tohold down said lifted therefrom.

8. An ingot mold set-up comprising a body having an opening in the bottom of the matrix thereof, a closure member extending into said opening and closing the same, and a protecting cap of sheet material extending over the end of said closure member to protect the same from the initial steel stream, the edge of said cap extending into the joint between said body and said closure member. 9. An ingot mold set-up comprising a body member having a vertical matrix therein with an opening in the bottom thereof, a closure mem er vadapted to telescope relatively to said mold to close said opening, a protective sheet covering said closure member and extending between said closure member and said mold, the side wall of said opening in said mold being inclined in such manner as to bend the edges ofsaid protective sheet downwardly around the upper end ofsaid closure member when said moldand closure member are telescoped relative to each other with said protective sheet in position on the closure member.

10. An ingot mold set-up comprising a body member having a vertical matrix there in with an opening leading to the bottom of stool and closure member when the mold is said matrix, .the side walls of said opening being inclined downwardly and outwardly,

a closure member adapted to telescope relatively to said mold body and to close said opening, the side walls of said closure member bein' inclined upwardly and inwardly at having a matrix therein with an opening leading from the bottom thereof, a bottom closure c'om rising a conical member insert- 65 able from t e outside of the mold, a sepa- 

